NEW YORK – An Orthodox Jew who was weeks away from becoming a New York City police officer said he has been kicked out of the police academy for refusing to trim his beard. Former recruit Fishel Litzman of Monsey was fired Friday after multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his whiskers, he told the Daily News. Litzman is Hasidic and believes that cutting his beard is forbidden by God. NYPD rules usually require officers to be clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of growth. "I don't understand what the problem would be," said Litzman. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the department's rules are reasonable and Litzman was aware of them when he signed up Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/09/hasidic-jew-claims-nypd-fired-him-over-beard-length/?test=latestnews#ixzz1xLJaovzr
I think Johnny Law said it best, "You're TRYING to be different!" Religion gets in the way of your job? Don't do that job. Not smart enough to be a brain surgeon? Don't try to cut people's heads open! This is really simple people... I'm still amazed that the Sikh get to wear turbans in uniform in certain agencies. Baffles my mind.
"The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of growth." Irony = For religious purposes, Jews are required to have 1 millimeter worth of growth removed from their manhood... yet this guy can't understand why the department keeps limitations on its beard policy exceptions.
So when some shitbag grabs you by your beard because you got too close, and a brother officer gets injured coming to your aid because you need to be different, that's just dandy? I'm not religious, but I respect others ...within reason. Want a beard? Then you need a different line of work. The real world requires compromise sometimes. Unfortunately for the rest of us, this is the new America Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
Beards and pony tails are nothing more than dirtbag handles. There's no room for INDIVIDUALS in policing, save the PC bullshit for the NPR crowd. Unfortunately, this atty. has gone against the military on similar cases and won. Stay strong, NYPD
I'm Jewish and I think that you can only ask for accommodations if it won't affect you or put you at increased risk and a long untrimmed beard is neither neat or professional looking. Safety Is paramount. But then again I am always amazed at the female CO's who wear their hair down in a ponytail that reaches halfway down their back. Plus I would hate to be his partner since hasidim are notorious for not keeping themselves clean and odor free. But I bet he would know where to find the best deals on food Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
I remember a guy in my basic training company who bitched and moaned about having his head shaved, because Bill Murray didn't have to in Stripes....that level of stupidity should be a capital offense. Know the standards of the job before you apply for the job, and don't go whining to the nanny-state court system when you change your mind. That being said, this guy will probably win a 6-7 figure lawsuit, or will be made a "community relations officer", never to be seen or heard from again, except on paydays.
Any type of accommodation has to be reasonable. If you request an unreasonable accommodation you get denied plain and simple. It's not rocket science. IMO it's not reasonable to request something that; as you folks pointed out, increases your risk of injury or the risk of injury to others. It's also unreasonable to request to be held to a different standard than everyone else on your job. The thing these people have to remember is the employer gets to initially decide if the request is reasonable. From what I've learned it's not that hard for them to show that the request would be a hardship on them in most cases. Although when I was in HR, the only time we had problems with accommodation requests was when the employee didn't play by the rules. My last job was a job I hated, at a place I didn't like with people I couldn't stand, but I it took for family reasons and worked hard. When I got sick I made what I believed to be a reasonable request. I could cover all my work in 6 hours, so I asked for a reduced schedule to accommodate my many doctor's appointments. At first I got it, but then this huge international company could no longer grant my request due to hardship. Their reasoning to me was that the other employees were upset that I only had to work 6 hours a day (only got paid for 6 too) and that the person they chose to cover me in the event something urgent came up kept screwing up. Their reason to MCAD was that they would have to hire another person to cover me when I was out and my request was deemed a hardship on the company. My point is that if the police department can show it's a safety issue; then, the request is unreasonable. If they can show the request is unreasonable; then, it should be denied. Although in this screwed up world it probably wouldn't be because someone has an ax to grind against the PD. My only question is, if this guy were a member of another religion (you know which one) would this be a problem for the department or would the powers that be bow to the pressure of the PC crowd and welcome him with open arms?
